M A I N   N E W S

To curb foeticide, J-K House panel wants smart cards for moms to-be
Committee slams Health Dept for declining sex ratio
Arteev Sharma/TNS

Jammu, April 8
A Jammu and Kashmir Assembly panel has slammed the Health and Medical Education Department for its failure to effectively check female foeticide that has resulted in a sharp decline in the state’s child sex ratio in the past 10 years.

The Committee on Subordinate Legislation, in its report tabled in the House on April 3, has recommended that every pregnant woman in the state be issued electronic cards so that the department can track their pregnancy --- right from the stage of conception to delivery. “It will directly restrict the termination of pregnancy at any stage,” said the committee report.

“We express serious concern over the sharp decline in the child sex ratio which has come down from 941 in 2001 to 859 in 2011. These figures are very disturbing. It clearly means that the rules are not being properly implemented and something needs to be done immediately to save the girl child,” said the panel report.

While in 2001, the number of girls per 1,000 boys (aged between 0-6) stood at 941, the 2011 Census revealed that it had plummeted to 859. At present, there are 82 fewer girls in the state per 1,000 boys.

The committee while examining J&K Preconception & Prenatal Sex Selection/Determination (Prohibition and Regulation) Rules-2006 impressed upon the Health Department to check the menace of female foeticide so that the sex ratio, an indicator of a healthy society could be maintained.

The committee comprised 10 members, including former Union Minister and MLA (Jammu West) Chaman Lal Gupta, Dr Mustafa Kamal, GM Saroori, GA Mir, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, Mohammad Irfan Shah, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Ashok Kumar and Abdul Haq Khan.

“As per the information provided by Director, Health Services, Kashmir, 67 illegal clinics have been closed in the Valley. In the Jammu region, 12 centres have shut down by the department besides cases have been slapped on owners of five such clinics in Shopian. Surprise visits were being conducted by the officers of the department,”: the report said. The panel observed that a representative from the Police should also be the member of the Advisory Committee. “Religious preachers or social organsations should also be roped in to be a part of the advisory committees,” it said, adding that awareness camps should be held to education the masses on the importance of the girl child.

Among other suggestions of the panel was making moral education compulsory in all schools.

Key suggestions

• Electronic cards with a code number for every pregnant woman
• Sex determination by any means punishable under law
• Clinics conducting sex tests to lose licence
• Ban on use of mobile ultrasound machines or on-call portable ultrasound machinesTo make tracking pregnancies easy; committee slams Health Dept for failing to check declining sex ratio